Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector device for contact-free energy transfer from a primary connector component to a secondary connector component, which components each have at least one coil, the connector components being inductively connected with each other. The invention moreover relates to an operating method for reliably operating such a connector device.
Description of Related Art
Compared to electrical connectors in which an energy transfer occurs via contact elements to be connected or disconnected, contact-free connector arrangements have advantages with regard to wear resulting from a high number of connection cycles or strong vibrations. In addition, contact burn-off during plugging or unplugging under an electrical load is prevented. In addition, the risk of the formation of light arcs at the time of the disconnection of the connectors under a high current load does not exist with contact-free connector devices. Finally, in the case of contact-free transfer of energy, there is a galvanic insulation between the primary part and the secondary part, which can be required, for example, for use in the medical sector. In addition, the absence of mechanically complicated mutually engaging contacts makes it possible to design the connector device with the smoothest possible surfaces, which makes the contact-free connector devices ideally suited for application purposes with increased requirements in terms of cleanliness/hygiene, for example, in the food sector.
The German printed publication No. DE 2 75 27 83 describes a connector arrangement for the transfer of electrical measurement signals, in particular in the medical field, in which the plug is integrated in a ring-shaped receiver coil which is connected inductively via a transfer gap to a transmission coil, which is also ring-shaped, in the counter-plug in the plugged-in state. An alternating voltage, which induces a voltage in the receiver coil of the plug, is applied to the transmission coil of the counter-plug, said voltage being used after rectification in order to operate an evaluation electronic system for the measured signals, which is provided in the plug component. By means of the evaluation electronic system, the measured signals are modulated to a light source, so that the measurement signals can be transmitted in the form of light signals with galvanic insulation from to the counter-plug. The indicated inductive energy transfer in adaptation to the intended purpose is suitable only for transferring small power for supplying the measurement electronic system and the light source for signal transmission.
In particular, the high resistance to wear makes a contact-free inductive energy transfer advantageous even in the automation sector, for example, for transferring energy to an interchangeable tool of a robot. However, for this purpose, powers are required that cannot be transferred via a device, as described in the above-mentioned German reference.
Therefore, the aim of the present invention is to provide a connector device of the type mentioned in the introduction, through which even higher electric powers, particularly in the range from several tens of watts to several hundred watts, can be transferred in a contact-free manner efficiently and reliably.